A pre-Reasonable Doubt mixtape by Jay Z has surfaced

The early Jay Z mixtape is refreshing to hear, featuring a lot of organic sounds and a somewhat slicker flow from Mr. Carter. We think it should be remastered and released today because, well, why not?

It's a little bit rough around the edges, and kinda bad quality, but it's important to look past the fraying and the naivety to see the true potential here. Obviously somebody did, elsewise we wouldn't have the Jay Z of today.

Anyway, yes, here is some news that a Jay Z mixtape has surfaced. It pre-dates his debut 1996 album Reasonable Doubt. His flow seems to have changed – I basically prefer what I've heard from the mixtape so far, slick rhymes and skippety-skipping syllables rapid-firing above boom bap-style beats and organic instrumentation. The jazzy style on 'Get Off My Dick' is particularly cool.

It's funny how a blast from the past like this can breathe a new freshness into an artist as big as Jay Z. Despite operating with the same cockiness back then, it feels more humble and more about the music than the music MARKET than any of his more recent efforts.

This should be remastered and released today. Definitely. Anyway, listen below.